To Where She Belonged
by luv-Dr.Chase
Summary: Who knew Chase was actually married? Well, House did. But he knows everything about everyone. But what happens when Chase's wife, a doctor herself, falls dreadfully ill and becomes House's newest case?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:_We, bandogurl and amhalgaidh-wolfegurl,do not now, nor ever, own any characters, locations, ideas or themes related to the Fox Medical Drama, _House, MD_. They belong to Fox and whoever wrote it (name escapes me at the moment).We do, however, own Anali and her family.We would appreciate it if no one would steal them from us. bandogurl & amhalgaidh-wolfegurl

To Where She Belonged

Chapter One:

"Chase, how in _hell_ did you manage to marry a total babe?" Dr. House asked when he walked into the team's conference room one day in September. Dr. Chase had been reading a particularly thick volume and looked up, entirely confused.

Dr. Cameron gave Chase a look. "You never told us you were married," she accused, feigning hurt.

House smirked at the blush that was creeping up Chase's face. "Oh, yeah, Anali's a gorgeous woman," he said. "Met her last night at a bar. So sad that you're not around her enough to keep her company."

"You met her at a _bar?_" Chase repeated, dropping his book. Dr. Foreman chuckled quietly. "Anali doesn't drink."

"She said you haven't come home in over a week, Chase," House said casually. "What's going on? Are you cheating on her? Can't see why you would."

"Excuse me," Chase muttered, getting to his feet. He pulled out his cell phone and left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Foreman turned to House and, with an amused smile, asked, "Did you really meet his wife at a bar?"

"Of course not," House said. "She's been one of my patients for years. I saw her at the supermarket. I just wanted to see his reaction." He sighed as he plonked himself in an unoccupied chair. "But, apparently, there's trouble in paradise. Did you know she could have been a better intensivist than he is if she had stuck with the practice after they had gotten married? Gave up on being a doctor altogether. Still hates it when I call her Dr. Morstan-Chase."

"She gave up the practice when they married?" Cameron repeated. "What on earth for?"

"She didn't want to make him feel incomplete somehow," House said, twirling his cane. "Her attention to detail is phenomenal. Have you seen any of her writings? That's what she does now, by the way. Writes. All day long. How satisfying can _that_ be? She could be helping us save lives, but _no_, she decides she wants her adorable little hubby to feel adequate as the bread winner and quits."

"You can't hold that against her, House," Foreman said. "If I was in her position, I'd probably do the same thing."

"What about you, Cameron?" House asked, looking at her pointedly. "Would you feel that compassionate for him? Would you give up your dreams of helping people just for your husband?"

She didn't answer immediately. She was giving House a look of silent loathing. "Possibly," she said quietly. "If it meant he'd be happier."

House nodded. "Women are all the same," he said. "Make their men happy; that's what they live for. But now, I'm guessing it isn't enough to keep him happy. What would keep Robert Chase from going home to his beautiful wife every night?"

"I hope you're not suggesting he's having an affair," Cameron protested. House looked at her pointedly again. "House, it's one thing to joke about it with him, but you can't be serious about it when he's gone!" She paused to think for a moment. "Did you do this with Wilson?"

"Of course I did!" he said, a sparkle in his eye. "But, now the question remains: who's he sleeping with and why is he feeling so guilty that he doesn't want to see Anali?" He took a moment to think about it. "Of course, the real question is why would he cheat on her in the first place? That woman has got to be great in bed."

"Will you stop talking about his wife like that?" Cameron demanded. "It's degrading."

"Oh, I'm sorry," House said sarcastically. "I forgot that admiring a woman's sexual attractiveness was offensive to you."

Foreman looked thoughtful. "Does she have any flaws that you know of?" he asked. Cameron threw her hands in the air in disgust. "Physical, character, mannerisms that drives Chase insane with irritation?"

"She's anaemic," House said lightly. "But I would think that would make him love her more."

"Does he know she's anaemic?"

"Not as far as I know," House replied. "Of course I didn't know he wasn't coming home at night until she told me in the middle of the produce aisle. I swear, I've gone from just being her diagnostician to her therapist."

"Well, did she cheat on him and now he's upset?" Foreman asked, leaning against the wall.

"Are you kidding me?" House snorted. "She's Mormon—oh, excuse me. LDS. Gotta keep it PC." He noticed the odd looks from Cameron and Foreman. "They were separated during the 'All In' case. Little Ian with Ester's symptoms. Foreman, didn't he move in with you for a while?"

"He told me his apartment building was getting repiped," Foreman said, shrugging.

"He lied," House said simply. "Chase lied to you so you wouldn't ask questions, Foreman. He's been lying to all of use by making us think he's single by not wearing his wedding ring."

"Was there _any_ truth in what he's said about her?" Cameron asked. "Well, to _you_, anyway?"

"It was his fault they separated at all," House said, beginning a list. "She doesn't drink. She doesn't smoke. She enjoys working in theatre. Stage, not movie. Her father's British, which makes her British-American, which semi-explains her accent. But then, she's been married to him for six years, so that may explain the rest of her accent. Basically, she could pass for a full Briton if she felt like it." He looked at his watch. "And actually, she's due in Exam Room Two in five minutes. Which means I can be ten minutes late for clinic duty because she doesn't care."

* * *

"Hello, Anali," House said, limping his way into Exam Room Two. The twenty-seven-year-old brunette was laying on the examination bed, her legs crossed at the ankles, her hands folded comfortably on her stomach and her eyes closed. She smirked when House spoke to her. "How're you feeling? Anaemia giving you problems?"

"You told him, didn't you?" she asked, her soft voice, thick with a British-Australian accent, amazingly filled the room with sound. House was surprised when Chase first introduced his wife. She never spoke much above a whisper, but she could capture your attention with the slightest murmur and you heard every word she uttered. "You told him what I told you. In confidence, House."

"You told me in the produce aisle at the supermarket," he said, sarcasm dripping from his every word. "If it was really in confidence, you wouldn't have told me last night. You would've told me today. Right now, in fact."

"All right, I'll tell you now," she said, her eyes still shut serenely as though she were peacefully napping. "He hasn't come home for ten days, House. I miss him terribly and I'm afraid of what the loneliness is doing to my body."

House pulled his rolling chair towards the bed and sat, leaning his cane against the bed. "Chronic fatigue?" he asked. She uttered a quiet sound of affirmative. "Slight headaches?" Again, affirmative. "Are the headaches daily?"

"Yes," she said. "They're not exactly migraines, but they're not exactly pleasant, either."

"I can imagine," he muttered. "You're a socially anti-social creature, Anali. You crave the seclusion that you've captured in your apartment, but you need the companionship of your husband more than you crave the seclusion." He sighed. "Do you have any ideas as to _why_ he hasn't come home?"

She opened her eyes and gently sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked House square in the eyes and said, "None. He called me as I was checking in for my appointment. There was nothing in his voice that suggested any sort of reason for his continual absence. It was the first time he had called since Day Two."

"I told him we met in a bar last night," House said.

"I don't drink."

"I know that," he replied lightly. "But he seemed panicked enough to believe that you would lose your non-alcoholic resolve for a brief evening. Something must be wrong."

"Well, obviously something's wrong," she said. "The last time he didn't come home for over a week, we ended up separated for two months because he needed to 'explore other options.' Do men always need options?"

"You want the honest truth?" She nodded. "Yeah, we do. But then again, so do women. Did you know women are more prone to having affairs than men because of a natural desire for prolongation of the species? They are more naturally inclined to have affairs with extremely handsome men to ensure their children are born beautiful. Don't you think he's under the impression that you had sex with other men while you were separated? He's probably brooding over the fact that he had to share you because he 'needed options.' Does that make sense?"

"Yes, but I didn't sleep with anyone during our separation," she said. "He's always been the only one for me. Maybe I'm insane and the exception to the rule that women need affairs, or maybe it's just the good little Mormon girl in me coming out, but that's the truth. I've only ever needed him, House. Just Robert."

"His first name's Robert?" he asked. "Oh, wait. I knew that." He sighed. "All right," House said, getting to his feet and pulling out his stethoscope. He put the ear buds in his ears and pressed the amplifier against her back under her shirt. "Deep breath. Again. And… Again." He stowed the stethoscope in his pocket. "Nothing suspicious in your lungs. A nurse took your other stats?" She nodded. "Perfectly normal?"

"Slight temperature," she shrugged. "Other than that, nothing extraordinarily out of place."

"Slight temperature?" House repeated. He didn't bother to check her chart. "How slight?"

"97.3," she said. "My normal temperature's 96.8. But the higher temperature's probably just an after-effect of the headaches."

House nodded. "Right," he said. "You know, I haven't heard you sing in a while. Indulge me."

"What do you want to hear?" she asked. He gave her his 'sing anything' look. _"Time and time again, I say that I don't care, I'm immune to gloom, that I'm strong through and through. But every time it matters, all my words desert me. So anyone can hurt me. And they do. So what happens now? So what happens now? Where am I going to? Where am I going to?"_

"Still lovely," he said absently. "Okay, I'm gonna fill a prescription for you. And depending on how busy the pharmacy is, that's how it'll take." He began to leave before she stopped him.

"You're going to medicate me?"

"It'll just help you focus and relax," he said, closing the door behind him. He went to the nearly empty pharmacy and filled the prescription. Then he paged Chase to come.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Chase asked as he ran over to House. "Is she all right?"

"She's fine," House said. "She wants to talk to you. Exam Room Two." He pushed the reluctant Chase towards the door with his cane.

Chase slowly entered the exam room. Anali was lying on the examination bed with her eyes closed. When he closed the door, she said, "I refuse to take anti-depressants, House, if that's what you want to give me."

"I'm not House, Anali," Chase said quietly. She opened her eyes and sat up, but said nothing to him. "House said you wanted to talk to me." She shook her head. "He lied." She nodded. He turned to leave, but found that while he could turn the door handle, he couldn't open the door. "He's leaning on it. I suppose that means we're stuck in here for a while." He pulled the rolling chair away from the bed and sat by the door and looked at his lovely wife silently.

They sat in silence for several minutes, looking at each other. Their eyes never met, but they flittered over every inch of each other's face. "Robert…" she whispered. "I miss you." His eyes flicked up to meet hers. There was very little in his expression that confessed that he felt the same. She wasn't entirely surprised by this. If there was only one man who rarely expressed any emotion beyond mere amusement or slight anger, it was Robert Chase. "Why haven't you come home? Have I done something to offend you into leaving? Tell what's wrong so I can fix it."

"I can't, Anali," he said. "It isn't your fault. There's nothing for _you_ to fix."

"Then tell me what's wrong so I can help you fix it," she urged, getting off the examination bed. She crossed the room to him and reached out her hand to brush his blond hair from where it fell into his eyes. He rolled away from her. "Robert, please."

"Anali, I can't do this right now," he whispered. "I have to figure this out on my own."

"Figure _what_ out, exactly?"

"Nothing, Anali!" he said sharply. "I just… I just can't hurt you… Again."

He could see tears pooling in her dark green eyes. "Too late," she whispered. "The fact that you haven't come home in ten days has hurt me. I want you to come home, Robert. I _need_ you to."

The door swung open. House limped inside, saying, "All righty then, Anali. I've got your prescription ready for you. Unless this is a bad time?" He looked between Chase and Anali. Chase rolled his eyes and pushed past House out of the Examination Room.

House held out a small glass bottle to Anali. She hesitantly took it. It was filled with a liquid of some sort. "What is it?" she asked, fighting the tears that were still trying to force their way to the surface.

"Lavender oil," he said. "Pour half a teaspoon in your bath every night until it's gone. You should be more relaxed and focused. According to _Cosmo_, anyway."

She smiled faintly. "Thank you, Dr. House," she said. She started to walk out of the room, but stopped in the doorway and looked back at him. "You read _Cosmo_?" she asked, a stronger smile pulling at her mouth.

"Only for the awesome sex tips," he said.

She smiled. "Good day, Dr. House," she said and walked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Anali pulled her black plastic hair clip from her hair and shook her head, her long brown tendrils falling around her shoulders. Sighing, she tossed the clip onto the nearby kitchen table and walked over to a cupboard, opened it, and pulled out a package of plain bagels. She was reaching for a clean plate when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the microwave's clock and groaned. It was nearly midnight. She set her plate down and begrudgingly went to the front door of the apartment she usually shared with her currently absent husband. She had hoped that it was Chase who was ringing the bell incessantly because he had lost his key, but she discovered it was a man she was not expecting in the least little bit. "Dr. House," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"Beating Wilson to the punch," he muttered, pushing past her into the apartment. He saw her confused expression as she closed the door. "Dr. James Wilson has a fetish for people in need. If he overhears Chase say something to Cameron about his 'failing' marriage, you can believe me, he'll work insanely hard to find you, behind you and convince you to let him take care of you."

"And is it bad to have a supportive friend?" she asked, following him as he limped into her kitchen. "Would you like something to eat?"

"Do you have any cold cereal?" he asked. She pointed him toward the cereal cupboard, then got him a bowl and a spoon. She set them on the counter then got the milk from the refrigerator as he said, "In answer to your question: no, it isn't. But Wilson will get attached to you. The last thing you need when trying to save your marriage is Wilson hanging around your apartment when he's not at work."

"So, you're better?" she asked. "Either way, I don't think Robert would be too thrilled with the idea."

"True," he said, munching on a spoonful of _Lucky Charms_. "But I'm less of a threat to Chase. Unless you dig older men who are addicted to Vicodin." Another spoonful. "You don't, do you?"

She spread some margarine on her bagel then put it in the microwave and set it to warm for thirty-five seconds. "If your manners were more pleasant, perhaps I could learn to love older men with an addiction to Vicodin," she said, pulling a glass from the cupboard by the microwave and pouring a glass of milk. The microwave beeped. "A suitable answer?" she asked, retrieving her bagel.

"You'll have to learn to deal with my manners," he said. "You'll be seeing a lot of me."

* * *

"So, tell me, Anali," House said over breakfast the next morning. "How does a good little Mormon girl like you marry a good little Catholic boy like Chase? How does that happen?"

"How does a grouchy, limping man like you end up all alone?" she countered. "Tell me, how _does_ that happen? It just does, House."

"So you're saying it's your nature to be married to him?" he asked. "There's got to be a deeper meaning behind your marriage. Did you do it to get back at someone? Your dad? Mom?"

"Mum's dead," she said shortly. "Since my first Christmas."

"What happened?"

"Uterine cancer," she replied softly. "She was diagnosed when I was six months old. She deteriorated from there."

"When's your birthday?"

"April."

"So she was diagnosed in October and was dead by Christmas," House mused. "Aren't you worried about getting it?"

"No."

"Then who did you get back at by marrying Chase?" he pressed.

"No one."

"Are you sure you didn't prove anything to anyone?" he asked. "Because it doesn't fit with the stereotypical Mormon girl that I've come to believe you've grown up as."

"My dad loves him," Anali said. "My stepmother doesn't. But she doesn't even like _me_." She sighed and put her breakfast dishes in the sink along with House's. She looked at the clock. "Don't you need to get to the hospital?"

"No, not really," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Come on, get up," she said, pulling on his arm. "I'll drive you."

In Anali's black Aveo, she turned on the CD player. "What are we listening to?" House asked, pulling a face.

"The International Cast Soundtrack of _Les Miserables_," she said lightly, turning it up a little. _"Had you been there that night, you might know how it feels,"_ she sang with the CD, unconsciously altering the lyrics slightly. _"To be struck to the bone in a moment of breathless delight. Had you been there that night, you might also have known, how your world may be changed in just one burst of light. And what was right seems wrong. And what was wrong seems right."_

_Red!_

"_I feel my soul on fire."_

_Black!_

"_My world if he's not there!"_

_Red!_

"_The colour of desire."_

_Black!_

"_The colour of despair!"_ She sighed and sank into her seat as she focused on driving. House looked at her sideways. She noticed. "What?" she asked.

"Do you do that purposely?" he asked. "Change the lyrics of a song to fit your life better?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, House," she said. "I sing what's written. I've never changed any song's lyrics. It doesn't seem right."

"Right or wrong, you did it," he said. "So, what's so special about that night?" She gently pulled over and turned off the car and gazed out the window, lost in thought.

_It was a brisk December night. Chase and Anali had just come out of a movie and were casually walking down the street to the park. Hey had a sudden thought to go ice skating even though the hour was growing late._

_The park was breathtakingly beautiful. A light blanket of snow covered the ground. There were strings of white lights strung through the trees around the frozen over pond._

_Once their skates were laced, he took her hand and led her out onto the ice where he pulled her to him and they waltzed on the ice. A happy smile was carved on both their faces. Anali giggled happily as he spun her away from him, then back into his arms. "Thank you," she said, her accent a purer British-American one._

"_For what?" he asked as they returned to the shore. He helped her out of the skates and into her converse._

"_For a wonderful night," she said. "Everything's been so lovely. I wish it would never end." They walked from the pond to the snow-glazed gazebo._

"_It doesn't have to," he murmured. He took her hand and knelt before her. "Ana, I may not be perfect and I may not deserve you, but I love you. And I would be deeply honoured if you would agree to be my wife." He opened the blue velvet box in his other hand, revealing the simple ring she had always wanted: a silver band with a three karat diamond._

"_That is so sweet," she said. "And you realise our parents would never approve."_

"_Ana, you're torturing me," he said. "Please just answer the question."_

"_Of course, I'll marry you, you prat," she said, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe you would think I wouldn't."_

_He sighed and slipped the ring onto her finger. "It's just," he said. "I was afraid you wouldn't because of your church and your parents don't particularly care you to have a civil marriage—" He got to his feet. "Or that you didn't love me."_

"_Why would you think that last bit?" she asked._

_He blushed a little. "You never said you did," he mumbled._

"_Robert, look me in the eyes and listen to me," she said. "I love you and I may be a good, little Mormon girl, but I'm not stupid. I'm not going to let some weird factors like my _parents_ stop me from being with the only man I know I will ever love." He pulled her into a warm hug. She looked up at him and said, "But still no kiss until our wedding."_

_He smiled. "I think I can handle the wait," he said. He kissed her forehead gently._

"Anali?"

"Actually, House," she said, starting the car again. "That's rather personal."

* * *

"Chase, get in here," House said from his office door. Chase followed him into the room. "I want to talk to you about your wife."

"Why?"

House put a small, digital audio recorder on his desk and pressed 'play'. Anali's voice floated from it:

_Time and time again,_

_I say that I don't care,_

_I'm immune to gloom,_

_That I'm strong through and through._

_But every time it matters,_

_All my words desert me._

_So anyone can hurt me._

_And they do._

_So what happens now?_

_So what happens now?_

_Where am I going to?_

_Where am I going to?_

Chase lifted an eyebrow. "And the point of showing me that was?" he asked.

"I told her to sing anything," House said. "That's what she sang. Whatever you've done that makes you feel so incredibly guilty that you can't go home, won't be as bad to a woman who feels completely vulnerable without you. Now. What have you done?"

"During the 'All in' case," Chase mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "We were separated. And I dated Angela a couple times…"

"Angela the nurse?" House asked. Chase nodded. "Did you sleep with her?" Another nod. "And now she's pregnant."

"How did you know?" Chase asked.

"Hm?" House asked, being pulled back from his thoughts. "She came to see me about a pregnancy test." He sighed. "That's it? You're afraid to go back to your wife because you're going to be the father of another woman's baby?" He laughed. "You're such a wuss." He stood and began to walk out of the office. "Go home. Tell her the truth. Or I will."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

"What are you doing here?" Chase asked as Anali walked into the hospital cafeteria and sat down with Cameron and Chase. She pulled some closed Tupperware dishes from her bag and set them on the table. She opened them to reveal a very thoroughly prepared lunch. What was supposed to be warm was warm and what was supposed to be cold was cold. Chase saw this and sighed. "Anali, you didn't need to bring all this food."

"I know," she said. "But I wanted to have lunch with you, darling. It's been a while since we've done that."

And so began Anali's habit of coming to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital every day to join her husband and his colleagues for lunch and dinner for the following three months while House enjoyed her home cooking at their apartment and her company while he took her out to enjoy life while her husband continued to be absent from their home.

* * *

"Robert, it's Anali," she said when he answered his phone.

"What do you want?"

"Have you officially moved out, now?" she asked. "I noticed you stopped by the apartment while I was out yesterday and emptied your dresser drawer and some of your shirts and ties from the closet. Should I be worried about the status of our marriage?"

"Not yet." _Click._

* * *

"Right," Anali said, checking her watch. "Well, I must be off. I need to get Stacie from the airport. Her flight gets in at five." She stood, pulled on her coat and grabbed her purse. "See you later, darling," she said, kissing Chase on the forehead. "Be safe coming home." She waved to Cameron and Foreman and walked away, smiling.

Foreman looked at Chase. "What do you have against that woman?" he asked. "She obviously still loves you. She's been bringing you your lunch and dinner every day for the past three months!"

"Do you know how irritating that can be?" Chase asked. "It's overwhelming. I need my space."

"Your _space_?" Cameron repeated. "The last time you needed space, you separated and you slept with Angela! Chase, you're very lucky to have her in your life."

"Try being married to her," he muttered. "The first few years were perfect. Then I realised I actually wanted her to work. Our conversations when she was in the business were interesting and we understood each other. Now, our conversations are all abut how she's decorating the apartment or _you'll never guess what happened to Ashley the other day!_ Ashley's her cousin who lives in London. I've never met the girl! Can you imagine trying to care about someone you saw at your wedding and never since?" He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe she just wants you to know how her family's doing," Foreman suggested. "It wouldn't hurt to make an effort to learn about her cousin."

Chase's cell phone rang. "Hello?" he answered.

"There's a problem, Chase," House said on the other end.

"Concerning what?"

"Your wife," came the answer shortly. "She collapsed in the lobby."

"What?" Chase asked, sitting up straighter. "Why? Is she all right?"

"We're moving her to a room," House said. "Our floor. I want to keep an eye on her. Just in case it's something more than anaemia."

"I'll be right there," Chase answered.

"Bring Cameron and Foreman with you." _Click._

Chase tucked his phone into the pocket of his lab coat. "Come on," he muttered. "House needs us. Anali's been hospitalised." They all ran to the room outside which House was standing. "What's going on? Is she all right?"

"I'm guessing from the expressions Cameron and Foreman are both wearing, before I called you, you were complaining about the poor woman in that room," House commented. "I'm touched by your concern for your wife."

"Tell me how she's doing," Chase demanded through gritted teeth. He was clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides, trying his hardest to not strike House.

"Her vitals are stable," House said. "Low iron count, obviously, that would be the anaemia. Low ascorbic acid level. She suffered a small concussion since she hit her head when she fell. She should be fine when she wakes up unless something far more sinister than low iron levels is at work here." There was a pause, then House said, "I'd wait to divorce her, Chase. Just in case she dies from this. That way, you'll save some money."

That was all it took. That last comment. Chase nodded silently, then turned to walk away. But before he took two paces, he spun around and punched House straight in the nose. "Thanks for the advice," he muttered, then walked away.

"Are you all right?" Cameron asked House, who had a smirk spreading across his face. She examined his nose. "He didn't break it, but you'll be bleeding for a while." She pulled a couple of tissues from her pocket and squeezed them over his nose. "Are you _sure_ you're all right?"

"Yeb," he said, his nose stuffed up. "Bud, dat wab a preddy inderesding readshun frob hib, waddn't id?"

"I'll admit I wasn't expecting it," Foreman said. "I'll go see if he's all right." He nodded to Cameron and House, turn went after Chase.

Foreman found Chase in his small office, upending the furniture. Chase looked insane with rage, but Foreman walked in anyway. "Chase?" he said hesitantly. Chase's back was to him and he had a letter knife in his hand.

"What?"

"Are you all right?"

Chase turned to face Foreman. "Do I bloody _look_ all right?" he demanded. "Why wife could be dying and House finds it amusing to make a crack like that!"

Foreman held his hands up. "Chase, just calm down," he said. "Take a few deep breaths. She's not going to die. Her anaemia was probably just acting up and she collapsed from fatigue. She's been doing a lot, lately. She'll be all right."

"You don't know that."

* * *

Anali spent three days in the hospital recovering from her bought with utter exhaustion and over-exertion which caused her iron levels to drop drastically, forcing her into an anaemia-driven faint. On the day she was to be discharged, House came to her room and sat down. "Wake up," he said, when he realised she was half-asleep.

"What?" she muttered.

"Chase had an affair."

She snapped open her eyes and sat up. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"During your separation, he slept with Angela, a nurse in the hospital," House explained, twirling his cane. "While not technically an affair, she's pregnant with his child and has been lusting after him since their last date. I can point her out to you."

"Sure, whatever," she said.

He nodded and stood, leaving her. He paused at the door and turned back. "I was wondering," he said. "Would you be willing to come back to work? Replace your husband?"

"No, House."

* * *

"Anali, come here," House called as he saw her walking slowly by. She shuffled over to where he was talking to an obviously pregnant nurse. "How're you feeling?" She shrugged. "Anali, I want you to meet Angela." He indicated to the nurse.

"Angela," Anali said softly, shaking the nurse's hand. "I've heard a little about you. I wish I knew more."

"Same here," Angela replied. "All I know is House wants you to replace Dr. Chase."

"Speaking of the wombat," House muttered. Then he limped away, calling, "Chase! A word?"

Angela sighed. "Isn't he gorgeous?" she asked absently.

"Dr. House?" Anali asked, though she knew the pregnant woman meant Chase. "I'll admit he is handsome, but his attitude leaves so much to be desired. If you don't believe me, try living with him for a few weeks." Angela gave her an odd look. "His apartment building was being repiped."

"Oh," she said. "I wasn't talking about House. I was talking about Dr. Chase. I _love_ his accent. He sounds British, but he isn't."

Analia nodded. "Accents certainly are alluring," she admitted.

"Your accent's interesting," Angela observed. "What is it?"

"British-Australian-American," Anali answered. "My father grew up in England. I grew up in America and was raised by him. And I married an Australian."

"Oh."

"How long have you known Dr. Chase?" Anali inquired after a moment.

Angela tore her gaze from Chase and focused on Anali. "Since I began working here," she answered. "So about one and a half years. Do you know him?"

"We met in med school," Anali said. "We were nineteen. We started school young. Our parents didn't approve, but we did what we wanted."

Angela nodded. Then her expression turned to one of competition. "We've been dating, you know," she said. Anali's eyebrow rose of its own accord. "He's _so_ romantic. Sweeps me off my feet."

"I can imagine," Anali said dryly. "Is that how you became pregnant?" Angela seemed shocked by the forwardness of the question. "Don't look so shocked, Angela. You're curvy and you're thin. Dr. Chase likes that. And you've got a mummy belly poking out. Is he the father?"

"I love him, Anali," she whispered.

"That doesn't answer my question," Anali said lightly. "Is he the father?" Angela nodded. "Were you planning on keeping your baby or giving him up for adoption?" Angela shrugged. "Because I'd be willing to adopt your baby is you're willing to let me. I can't have my own children, you see. Dr. House has proclaimed my uterus to be a hostile environment."

Angela shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know," she said. "We'd have to talk to Dr. Chase about it."

Anali sighed. "Actually," she said. "It doesn't matter what he thinks about who raises the child. One way, he'll be paying child support. The other he won't. And when he isn't paying child support, if he's stupid, he'll be paying a different monthly payment. _Or_ if he's _really_ stupid, he'll be paying both."

"Who the hell _are_ you?" Angela demanded.

Anali held out her hand to shake Angela's again. "My name is Anali Kathryn Morstan," she said, unintentionally using her maiden name. "I'm Dr. Chase's _wife_."

"But he—he…"

"Yeah, we were separated at the time," Anali said casually. "But if you allowed me to adopt your baby, I'll raise him like my own. And at least then he'd be raised by his biological father. Will you at least think about it? Please?" Angela remained silent and walked away in a huff. Anali sighed.

"Why did you do that?" She turned and saw Chase behind her. "I was going to tell her when the time was right."

"What, when she was having the baby?" Anali retorted. "The time was right ten years ago, Chase. Dr. Cameron said you haven't been wearing your wedding ring. So now everyone in the hospital thinks you're unmarried and that I'm insane!" He rolled his eyes and walked away. She followed him angrily. "Don't walk away when I'm talking to you, Robert Matthew Chase! This is a serious situation. _You_ got us into this mess; it's _your_ responsibility to get us out of it. That's part of being an adult. I realise you've made some fairly moronic decisions in the past, but this one has to be rectified!" He walked into the diagnostic conference room and closed the door behind him. Anali didn't pause before she walked right in after him.

"You can't come in here, Anali," he said, ignoring Foreman and Cameron. "You're a patient."

House lightly brushed past Anali as he hurried into the room to watch the argument. "The hell I can't I just did," she snapped. Foreman and Cameron looked surprised. Her voice was at an average speaking volume—much louder than her usual murmur—and she swore. Chase looked indifferent while House looked like Christmas had come early. "Right now, I'm your wife and you have some explaining to do."

"I don't have to explain anything to you," Chase said curtly. "I want a divorce." Cameron's hand flew to her mouth. Foreman's eyes widened. And House lost his giddy grin. Anali showed no reaction. "I'm so sick of you being so perfect all the time. You were always better than me in med school. You could take my job whenever you wanted, but you're choosing to stay home and make other stay-at-home wives look like amateurs. I'm sick of House always spending time with you then rubbing your skills at bowling or singing or lacrosse or dancing in my face. I'm sick of feeling jealous when other men give you an up and down look. I can't handle it anymore, Anali. We married too soon after we met. We were barely twenty-one for God's sake! We were too young and foolish to fully comprehend what we were doing. And this needs to end." She didn't say anything. She just stared at him evenly. "I think the only thing that's kept me with you is the guilt I would feel over leaving an anaemic woman on her own."

"You pulled my record, didn't you?" she whispered. He nodded. "That, darling, is illegal."

"Come off it," he said, his eyes rolling. "It's not like you haven't pulled mine."

"I haven't!" she shouted. "For the past six years, I have respected your privacy, I've allowed you to outshine me career-wise, I've kept your house looking beautiful and clean, _and_ I managed to not commit adultery! During our separation, you slept with Angela, but no men went to _your_ bed. And I'm sure that's not the only time you've slept with another woman!" Cameron's cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Anali sighed and brushed her hair from her face. "But what I don't understand is why you want a divorce if I'm going to die within the next few months anyway."

Everyone reacted. "What are you talking about?" House demanded.

Tears fell from Anali's eyes as she said, "I just had my third thunderclap headache…today."

House scrambled to his feet. "Why didn't you tell me about the first two?" he demanded, limping quickly to her.

"They peaked then were gone immediately," she said. "They didn't act like real thunderclaps." House examined her eyes. "What's going to happen to me, House?"

"I think you diagnosed yourself fairly accurately," he said. "Could be a brain aneurysm. Could be something else. We won't know until we run some tests. Foreman, I want an MRI and an arteriogram as soon as possible." He turned to his team. Foreman was still digesting what had just happened. "Go on or she's dead in three days." Foreman snapped out of his trance and left. "In the meantime, Chase, you are suspended from this case."

"What? Why?" he asked. "She's my _wife_."

"Exactly."

"But I'm filing for divorce."

"But she's still your wife," House said. "And however much you may want to divorce her, you still have emotional ties to her. And I don't believe your skills will be needed. You're dismissed."

Chase opened and closed his mouth silently a bit, then, irritated, swept out of the room. Cameron looked at House. "What if we really do need his help?" she asked.

"I doubt she'll be sent to intensive care," House muttered. "Get Anali back to her room. I need to think."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Anali was asleep when House entered her room. He took a seat by her bed and waited, laying his cane on the bed beside her. Her hand nudged it in her sleep and she woke. "I'm not perfect," she said quietly.

"I would never accuse you of such a tremendous sin," he replied. She smiled. "What horrible burden have you been carrying?"

"We were separated twice," she said. "When he first was hired here. That was the first. We were having problems and he needed space. So I gave it to him. I moved in with a girlfriend from church for a couple months. But I did date that time. Unfortunately, one of my dates somehow convinced me to drink. And then…"

"You were date-raped," he finished for her. She nodded. "Go on."

"I talked to my Bishop about it," she said. "And I repented properly. I haven't touched any kind of alcohol since. Not even an empty bottle. But there was a slight problem."

"Pregnancy?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I went back to my Bishop. He told me to pray about what I should do. I felt impressed to…"

"_You_ got an abortion?" House asked. When she nodded, he continued, "You've been the strongest voice in the march against it! Is this why?"

She nodded again. "No woman should risk that," she said. "There were complications because of my anaemia. All I was told was I had lost a lot of blood. Later I learned the reason I began bleeding so profusely. It wasn't just my anaemia. They had destroyed my uterus."

"I had wondered," he said. "I could see that in the ultra-sound. It wasn't on your record, but I didn't ask. Uncharacteristic tact, I know."

* * *

"Everything checks out fine," Foreman said, taking his stethoscope ear buds from his ears. "It was just the anaemia again. You should be discharged later this afternoon."

"Thanks, Forman," she said. He smiled warmly at her and left her room while she stretched her arms above her head.

Someone knocked on her door. She looked up as House walked in. "I hear you're being discharged," he said. She nodded. "But you won't go home. You'll still spend an insane amount of time here for a doctor who doesn't work here. Won't you?"

"Probably."

"Why don't you fix that problem?" he suggested. "I've convinced Cuddy to allow me to hire another intensivist for my team. What do you say, Anali? Why don't you get back into the business? You know you miss it."

Her smile slowly faded. "I don't know, House," she said. "I'd have to talk to Robert."

"I'm sure he'll be fine with it," House said. "He _wants_ you to be _happy_."

"He _wants_ to _divorce_ me," she said. "Somehow, I doubt he'd enjoy working with me again."

"He loves you," he insisted. "He's just being a moron."

She sighed. "I'll think about it," she said.

* * *

"Hey."

She looked up from tying her shoe. Chase was standing in the doorway, a small smile on his face. "Hey yourself," she said, smiling a little. "What's up?"

"House said you were being discharged," he said, walking over to the end of her bed and leaning on it.

"Yep." She stood up straight and looked at him. She twisted her hair up and clipped it in place. She waited for him to continue.

"He also said he offered you a job."

"He did."

"Did you accept?"

"Yes." She picked up her bag containing her personal effect and slung it over her shoulder. "Ta." She walked out of the room.

He followed her. "Why in the _world_ would you go back to work?" he asked. "Everything was working out fine."

"Obviously not since you called a divorce lawyer yesterday," she said bitterly as she signed the release forms.

"Who told you that?"

"Cameron. Thank you," she handed the forms back to the nurse and walked towards the elevators. "She was my spy, Robert. And she does her job all too well. See you in the morning." She left without another word.

"Or sooner," he muttered. Then he sought out Cameron, who he found in the lab. "Why did you tell her I called a lawyer yesterday?"

"Because you told Foreman you did," she answered quite simply.

"I called the lawyer to cancel the meeting," he explained. He rubbed his face. "I had thought about what you had said and realised that I'd rather work it out than lose her."

"Then I suggest you go home," she said.

* * *

Anali was working on the computer when she heard the bedroom door open. "Sitting on the floor, using you laptop in little to no light, wearing nothing more than a pair of my boxers and a tight fitting black tank top," Chase said, looking down at her. "Is this a new habit House taught you?"

"I wasn't expecting you to come home," she said as she shut down her computer. She looked up. "Why _are_ you here, anyway?"

"I've missed you," he said. "And I wanted to tell you that Cameron didn't hear the whole truth. Yes, I called a lawyer, but I called when I first told you I wanted a divorce. Yesterday, I terminated my contract with him. I want to make this work."

"Why?" she asked, setting the laptop on her desk and getting to her feet. She pulled her clip from her hair and tossed it onto the desk. "For the children we will never have?"

"I was being an idiot," he mumbled. "I'm sorry… and I love you."

"Sounds like you just want sex," she said, looking at him carefully in the dim light filtering in through the drapes from the street light. "That's the problem with men, when six o'clock hits, you rarely think with your brain and tend to listen to the logic and rationality of your penis."

"Good God, Anali," he said. "You don't need to be so harsh."

"Maybe I do," she said. "Maybe I love you so much, the only way to stop you from hurting me is to be harsh. If only to keep you a safe distance from me."

She turned to brush past him to go to the bathroom to brush her teeth. But he grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Please don't do this," he whispered. "Angela gave me the adoption papers before I left the hospital. We can sign them now, and when she gives birth, we will have full custody of the baby." She sighed and seemed lost in thought. "Anali, we can have that family you've dreamed of having since you were a child."

"I don't know if I want to raise a family with you," she muttered, pulling her wrist from his grasp and swiftly walking the four feet to the bathroom. "Good night."


End file.
